The reclamation of metals from the skim of aluminum furnaces has been attempted with a limited amount of success. The importance of recycling such scrap materials has become increasingly apparent as the depletion of ore reserves drives prices higher. At the same time, the high cost of fuels and the high level of energy utilization involved in the separation and refinement of metals makes it doubly important that the salvage operations be rendered as effective and efficient as possible.
In the present salvaging operation of the skim of aluminum furnaces, a good share of the small particles of aluminum and the aluminum oxide powders are lost. Accordingly, it becomes necessary to effectively optimize the salvage operation to conserve materials and energy.